Capstan



April 18, 1933.

s. A. SEELEY Filed June 13, 1930 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PAITEINT OFFICE onone'n A. SEELEY, or summons, 'mnnm, ASSIGNOB 'ro wns'rmur We comm, mooaronarnn, or NEW Yonx, n. 1,1 oonroiwrron or new You GAIPB'I'AN I Application and June is,

tion and capable of accommodating strands or cables of various shapes and sizes.

One embodiment of the invention contem- 10 plates the provision of a caterpillar capstan for advancing strands, cables, andthelike, wherein a pan of cooperating endless belts or chains are arranged to travel around spaced .driven discs or s rocket wheels and are provided with space gripping elements for enga ing opposite sides 0 a strand or cable. he gripping elements are formed with deep V-shaped grooves for accommodating strands or cables of various sha V and sizes and are arran ed sothat the gripping elements of one ain are offset with rfispect to the gripping elements of the-other 0 am.

A more complete understanding of the invention will be had from the followingdetailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 1s a skeletonized elevational view of a caterpillar capstan embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fi 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 with the twociiains spaced farther apart so as to accommodate a strand or cable of larger cross section.

The capstan illustrated in the drawing ma be employed in conjunction with a cable ma in apparatus for drawing the finished cable mm the various cable forming mechanisms and delivering it to a take-up reel. It will be obvious, of course, that caterpillarcapstans embodying the features of this invention are capable ofnumerous other uses.

Referrin to Fig. 1 of the'drawing, it will be observe that the capstan of the present invention comprises a pair of spaced endless chains 10 and 11 which are arranged 1930. Serial llo. 406,807.

to travel around notched discs 'or, sprocket wheels 12-13 and I l-15, respectively. The sprocket wheels 12 and 13 are secured to shafts 16 and 17, respectively which are rotatably 'ournalled in ear g blocks 18- 18 adjusta 1y mounted in vertical slots 19- 19 in the upper ends of spaced uprights 202(k The sprocket wheels 14 and 15 are secured' to shafts 21 and '22, respectively, which are rotatabl -journalled in the uprights 20 and are isposed'below and ar-, allel to the upper shafts 16 and 17. The uprights 20 are rigidly interconnected by spaced horizontal cross bars 24 and 25.

The endless chains 10 and 11 are each provided with spaced outwardly projecting gripping blocks 26,- 26, preferably composed of rubber, or other material adapted to exert a frictional gripping action upon a strand or cable 27 interposed therebetweem, The gripping blocks are secured in socket portions 28, 28 (Fig. 3) of the chain links and are provided with deep triangular or V- shaped grooves 29, 29, whereb they are adapted to accommodate and y grip 7 strands or cables of various shapes andsizes.

It will be observed that the gripping blocks 26 of the upper chain 10 are ofisetwith respect to the gripping blocks of the lower chain 11. This construction insures .a con- 50 stant uniform gripping engagement of the blocks with the cable which is not affected by variations or irregularities in the size or contour of the cable.

The lower chain ll travels along a hori- 35 zontal bed plate or guide shoe 32 extending between the sprocket wheels 14 and 15 and rigidly secured to the horizontal cross bar 25 of the frame.v The upper chain 10 travelsalong the under side of a horizontal plate'or guide shoe '34 which extends between the sprocket wheels 12 and 13 and is formed with upwardly extendin guide pins 35,-35 arranged to fit slida ly in guide apertures 3636 provided in the cross bar 24 of the frame, whereby the upper guide shoe 34' is vertically adjustable with respect to the lower guide shoe 32. The upper guide shoe 34 is yieldably urged downwardly toward the lower guide shoe 32 by coil springs 38, .38

interposed between the guide shoe 34 and adjusting screws 40, 40, threaded in the cross bar 24. From the construction just described it will be understood that the cable is firmly gripped by the grooved blocks 26 of the upper and lower chains under the pressure of the coil springs 38, which pressure may be varied by turning the adjusting screws 40. The capstan may be quickly and readily adjusted to accoi modate strands or cables of various sizes y elevating or lowering the sprocket shaft bearing blocks 18 of the upper chain 10 and adjusting the tension of the coil springs 38.

It is believed that the operation of the improved caterpillar capstan will be clearly understood from the above description. The endless chains 10 and 11 are driven in the directions indicated by the arrows (Fig. 1) by any suitable source of'power (not shown) connected to the sprocket wheel shafts 16, 17, 21 and 22. The strand or cable 27 is advanced with the moving chains through the frictional engagement of the grooved gripping blocks 26 of the upper and lower chains as they pass under and over the guide shoes 34 and 32, respectively. The deep V-sha-ped grooves 29 and the .oflset arrangement of the gripping blocks contribute to provide a simple and improved caterpillar capstan construction which is capable of accommodating strands or cables of various shapes and sizes. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof, herein illustrated and described except in so far a s,is defined by the appended claims. l v

What is claimed is: 1. A capstan for advancing strands, com prising a pair of endless members, and strand gripping elements secured to the members at spaced positions therealong, the gripping elements of one member being disposed in ofiset relation with respect to the gripping elements of the other member. 2. A caterpillar capstan for advancing strands, comprising a pair of endless chains, and a plurality of spaced strand gripping elements secured to the chains and having V-shaped grooves for accommodating strands of various sizes, the gripping elements of one chain being disposed in oifset relationship with respect to the gripping elements of the other chain.

3. A caterpillar capstan for advancing cables, comprising a pair of endless chains arranged to travel in the same plane and disposed in spaced relationship, cable gripping elements secured to the chains at spaced positions therealong and having V-shaped grooves for accommodating cables of various shapes and sizes, the gripping elements of one chain being disposed in off-set relationship with respect to the gripping elements of the other chain, and means for moving one of the chains laterally with re; spect to the other chain.

4. A caterpillar capstan for advancing cables, comprising a pair of endless chains shoe associated with said one endless chain,.

a'guide pin secured to said guide shoe and extending through the aperture in said cross bar, and cable gripping elements secured to the chains at spaced positions therealong and having V-shaped grooves for accommodating cables of various shapes and sizes, the grip ping elements of said one chain being disposed in ofifset relationship with respect to the gripping elements of the other chain.

5. A caterpillar capstan for advancing cables, comprising a pair of endless chains arranged to travel in the same plane and disposed in spaced relationship, a pair of rotatable elements for driving one of said endless chains, an individual shaft and bearing block for supporting each of said rotatable elements, an individual member having a vertical slottherein for supporting each of said bearing blocks, a cross bar having an aperture therein and extending between and secured to said individual members, a guide shoe associated with said one endless chain, an adjusting screw secured to said cross bar,

a spring located between the adjusting screw and the guide shoe, a guide pin secured to said guide shoe and extending through the aperture in said cross bar, and cable gripping elements secured to-"the chains at spaced positions therealong and having V-shaped grooves for accommodating cables of various shapes and sizes, the gripping elements of said one chain being disposed in oifset re lationship with respect to the gripping elements of the other chain.

6. A caterpillar capstan for advancing cables, comprising a pair of endless chains arranged to travel in the same plane and disposed in spaced relationship, a pair of rotatable elements for driving one of said endless chains, an individual shaft and bearing .block for supporting each of said rotatable said bearing blocks, a cross bar havinganaperture therein and extending between and secured to said individual members, a guide shoe associated with said one endless chain, an adjusting screw secured to said cross bar, a spring located between the adjusting screw and the guide shoe, a guide pin secured to said guide shoe and extmding through the aperture in said cross bar, cable gripping elements secured to the chains at spaced positions' therealong and having V-shaped grooves for accommodating cables of various shapes and sizes, the gripping elements of said one chain beingdisposed in offset relationship with respect to the gripping ele-- ments of the other chain, and means for moving said one chain laterally with respect to the other chain comprising a pair of adjusting screws associated with said members having vertical slots therein and with said hearing blocks.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of June A. D., 1930.

GEORGE A; SEELEY. 

